Ink agitator



March 16, 1965 L. E. MARTIN 3,173,363

INK AGITATOR Filed Feb. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LESTER E MART/7V N V5N 7' OR,

BUCKHORM BL ORE, KLAE'OU/ST a SPAR/(MAN ATTORNEYS March 16, 1965 L E.MARTIN 3,173,353

INK AGITATOR Filed Feb. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M/l E/VTOR.

LESTER E. MARTIN BUCKHORN, CHEA THA M 8: BLORE A T TORNE Y5 UnitedStates Patent 015 3,173,363 INK AGITATOR Lester E. Martin, Portland,Greg, assignor to Graphic Industries Equipment, Inc., Portland, Oreg., acorporation of Oregon Filed Feb. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 175,587 6 Claims.(Cl. 101-364) This invention relates to ink agitators for printingmachines and particularly for an ink agitator for a relatively smallmachine such as a check printing machine.

It is a main object of the invention to provide a selfpowered inkagitator attachment for a small printing machine and particularly onethan can be attached without modification of the machine and can bereadily detached in a matter of seconds.

Various other objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a top left perspective view of a printing machine having anink agitator attachment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken along line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a generally horizontal section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of my attachment taken from'the undersidethereof;

FIG. '7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6, showing theblade in phantom lines;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the ink agitator member lookinggenerally at the front thereof; and

FIG. 9 is a rear elevational view of such member.

Referring to FIG. 1, the printing machine 11 has a plurality of inkingrollers some of which are shown and are identified as 13a, 13b, 13c,13d, and 132 for picking up ink from a pan 15 and transferring a film ofink to a cylinder 17. These rollers and the cylinders are driven bymeans not shown and concealed by housings 19 and 21.

Referring to FIG. 2, the pan 15 is shown resting on a rod 33 supportedby the frame of the machine. Each end wall 35 of the pan has a keyholeslot or recess 36 to embrace a flat portion 37 of a stationary tubularbearing 38. The bearings 38 support the ends of a shaft 39 of the roller13a. When the pan is swung clockwise suificiently to align the slots 36with the fiat portions 37, the pan is pulled forwardly to remove it. Itis reinserted by following the reverse procedure.

The pan has a film forming blade 41 mounted by screws 43 on the frontlip of the pan 15 in a position to dispose its lower edge close to theroller 13a. A series of adjustment screws 45 determine the ultimateposition of the lower edge of the blade 41 with relation to the roller13a.

The self-powered ink agitator of the invention is designed to bedetachably mounted on the printing machine in a manner permitting itsready detachment. The agitator includes a pair of spaced parallelvertically elongate side members 51.and 53 (FIG. 1) of generally similarbut specifically diiferent shape (FIG. 4). A. tie rod 55 (FIGS. 4 and 5extends through holes in the upper ends of the side members and issecured in place by setscrews 57.

I The'lower portions of the side members 51 and 53 are similarly formedand each is formed with a downwardly facing semicircular recess 61 (FIG.3) of a size to embrace the bearings 38 of the roller shaft 39. Eachside member is also formed at a lower level with a smaller downwardlyfacing recess 63 of a size to embrace the 33733623 llga tented Mar. 16,1965 pan-supporting rod 33. The directions in which the recesses 61 and63 open are parallel and thus the side members may be removed by anupward force and replaced by merely fitting the recessed portions ontothe bearings 38 and the rod 33.

The agitator includes an agitator member indicated by the generalreference numeral 71 which is detachably mounted by a pair of thumbscrews 73 (FIGS. 1 and 2) on a nut 75. The nut fits on a cross threadedreversing screw 77 fitting at one end (FIG. 5) in a hole 79 formed inthe side member 53 and formed at its opposite end with a bore receivingthe output shaft 81 of an electrical motor 83. A coupling sleeve 85 hasa setscrew 87 passing through a hole in the wall of the screw 77 andengaging a flat on the shaft 81. The side member 51 has a suitableopening 89 to accommodate the sleeve 85.

The motor 83 has three threaded mounting pads 91 (FIG. 5) secured to theouter face of the side member 51 by screws 93 (compare FIGS. 1 and 5).

When the motor 83 is energized through a cord 95 (FIG. 6) the screw 77is rotated to drive the nut 75 longitudinally of the screw, the nutbeing prevented from rotation by a guide rod 55 (FIG. 3) which passesthrough a slot 99 in an arm 101 extending from the body of the nut 75.

The agitator member (FIGS. 8 and 9) comprises a thin metal plate ofgenerally inverted U-shape and including a pair of downwardly taperingfingers 105 joined by a bridging portion 107. The agitator member isbent slightly below the bridging portion so that the bodies of thefingers are at a slight angle to the bridging portion.

The lower end portions 109 of the fingers are bent almost at rightangles to the remainders of the fingers. The various angles of theagitator member are chosen so that the lower faces of the lower portions109 lie flush against the blade 41 (FIG. 2) and so that the tips of theportions 109 are disposed close to but in spaced relation with respectto the roller 13a.

The fingers are spaced apart a distance less than half the length of thepan 15 so that paths of travel of the fingers overlap to give a wipingaction to the entire length of the pan. The length of the threads of thescrew 77 is such as to drive the agitator member a distance justslightly less than the length of the pan 15 minus the distance betweenthe outside edges of the portions 109.

Since the side members 51 and 53 merely rest on the bearings 38, theycan slide along such bearings. Thus, there is no need to accuratelylocate the agitator attachment laterally relative to the pan 15, sinceif it is not correctly located, the agitator member 71 will be broughtinto engagement with an end of the pan to push the attachment into acentered position relative to the pan.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 9, the agitator member 71 is formed with tworecesses or edge slots to receive the shanks of the thumb screws 73.This permits removal of the agitator member 71 from the nut 75 withoutremoving the screws 73.

The supply of ink I is shown in FIG. 2 with the fingers portions 109projecting into such supply to assume proper agitation and distributionof the ink along the blade 41.

While the agitator of the invention is shown attached to a particulartype of printing machine, the agitator can be detachably mounted onvarious other types of machines.

It is apparent, for instance, that the distance between the side members51 and 53 can be readily varied by loosening the setscrew 57 for sidemember 53, moving the side member relative to the screw 77 and rod 55and retightening the setscrew. This could be done to adapt the agitatorto a difierently dimensioned machine.

The agitator of the present invention is particularly useful inagitating magnetic ink to keep the iron oxide 3,1 3 from settling out,but the agitator is also very useful in agitating other inks, to avoidwaste and to insure a uniform film of ink on the transfer rolls.

Having described the invention in what is considered to be the preferredembodiment thereof, it is desired that it be understood that theinvention is not to be limited other than by the provisions of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. An attachment for a printing machine of the type having a fountainwhich contains a roller supported by a roller shaft assembly whichprojects beyond the fountain,

said attachment comprising a unitary assembly which is readily mountedon and removable from the machine as a unit,

said attachment including a pair of spaced parallel mounting plates,

a drive motor mounted on the outer face of one mounting plate,

an agitator shaft journaled in said other plate and extending towardsaid one plate,

said drive motor having an output shaft connected to said agitator shaftto provide a drive shaft assembly, said drive shaft assembly extendingthrough said one plate,

an agitator having a depending agitating portion and being drive backand forth by said agitator shaft, said agitator being supported by saidagitator shaft, said mounting plates having vertical notches of a sizeto just fit on the roller shaft assembly to enable said plates to beseated on said roller shaft assembly,

said notches being oriented on said plates so that said plates areperpendicular to the axis of said roller shaft assembly, said platesalso abuttingly engaging other portionsof said machine to preventrocking movement of said plates about said roller shaft assembly,

said notches being so located that the mere seating of said plates onsaid roller shaft assembly will automatically locate the agitator shaftinparallel relation to said roller shaft assembly and automaticallylocate said depending agitator portion in correct position for agitatingink in said fountain,

the parts of said attachment being so located relative to said notchesthat the effect of gravity acting on said parts creates a downward forcetending to maintain said plates seated on said roller shaft assembly,whereby said unitary assembly can be applied and removed without the aidof tools.

2. An attachment fora printing machine of the type having a fountainwhich contains a roller supported by a roller shaft assembly whichprojects beyond the fountain,

said attachment comprising a unitary assembly which is readily mountedon and removable from the machine as a unit,

said attachment including a pair of spaced parallel mounting plates,

a drive motor mounted on the outer face of one mounting plate,

an agitator shaft journaled in said other plate and extending towardsaid one plate,

said drive motor having an output shaft connected to said agitator shaftto provide a drive shaft assembly, said drive shaft assembly extendingthrough said one plate,

an agitator having a depending agitating vportion and being driven backand forth by said agitator shaft, said agitator being supported by saidagitator shaft, each mounting plate having a sliding inter-engagingconnection with portions of said machine,

the portions of said plates providing for such sliding inter-engagingconnections being so related to the other parts of said'attachment thatthe force of gravity acting on said attachment tends to maintain vases.

said mounting plates in their inter-engaged position on said machine,whereby said unitary assembly may be applied or removed from saidmachine without the aid of tools,

the portions of said plates which provide for such slidinginter-engaging connection being so located that when said plates assumetheir final rest positions, said agitator shaft is located in parallelrelation to said roller and said depending agitator portion is incorrect position for agitating ink in said fountain,

said plates also abuttingly engagingother portions of said machine toprevent rocking movement of said plates about said roller shaftassembly.

3. An attachment for a printing machine of the type having a fountainwhich contains a roller supported by a roller shaft assembly whichprojects beyond the fountain,

said attachment comprising a unitary assembly which is readily mountedon and removable from the machine as a unit,

said attachment including a pair of spaced parallel mounting members,

a drive motor mounted on the outer face of one mounting member,

an agitator shaft journaled in said other member and extending towardsaid one member,

said drive motor having an output shaft connected to said agitator shaftto provide a drive shaft assembly,

said drive shaft assembly extending through said one member,

an agitator having a depending agitating portion and being driven backand forth by said agitator shaft,

said agitator being supported by said agitator shaft,

said mounting members having vertical notches of a size to just fit onthe roller shaft assembly to enable said members to be seated on saidroller shaft assembly,

said notches being oriented on said members so that said members areperpendicular to the axis of said roller shaft assembly,

said members also abuttingly engaging other portions of said machine toprevent rocking movement of said members about said rollershaftassembly,

said notches being so located that the mere seating of said members onsaid roller shaft assembly will automatically locate the agitator shaftin parallel relation to said roller shaft assembly and automaticallylocate said depending agitator portion in correct position for agitatingink in said fountain,

the parts of said attachment being so located relative to said notchesthat the effect of gravity acting on said parts creates a downward forcetending to maintain said members seated on said roller shaft assembly,whereby said unitary assembly can be applied and removed without the aidof tools.

4. An attachment fora printing machine of the type having a fountainwhich contains a roller supported by a roller shaft assembly whichprojects beyond the fountain,

said attachment comprising a unitary assembly which is readily mountedon and removable from the machine as a unit,

said attachment including a pair of spaced parallel mounting members,

a drive motor mounted on the outer face of one mounting member,

an agitator shaft journaled in said other member and extending towardsaid one member,

said drive motor having an output shaft connected to said agitator shaftto provide a drive shaft assembly,

said drive'shaft assembly extending through said one member,

an agitator having a depending agitating portion and being driven backand forth by said agitator shaft,

said agitator being supported by said agitator shaft, each mountingmember having a sliding inter-engaging connection with portions of saidmachine,

the portions of said members providing for such sliding inter-engagingconnections being so related to the other parts of said attachment thatthe force of gravity acting on said attachment tends to maintain saidmounting members in their inter-engaged position on said machine,whereby said unitary assembly may be applied or removed from saidmachine without the aid of tools,

the portions of said members which provide for such slidinginter-engaging connections being so located that when said membersassume their final rest positions, said agitator shaft is located inparallel relation to said roller and said depending agitator portion isin correct position for agitating ink in said fountain,

said members also abuttingly engaging other portions of said machine toprevent rocking movement of said members about said roller shaftassembly.

5. An attachment for a printing machine of the type having a fountainwhich contains a roller supported by a roller shaft assembly whichprojects beyond the fountain,

said attachment comprising a unitary assembly which is readily mountedon and removable from the machine as a unit,

said attachment including a pair of spaced parallel mounting plates,

a drive motor mounted on the outer face of one mounting plate,

an agitator shaft journaled in said other plate and extending towardsaid one plate,

said drive motor having an output shaft connected to said agitator shaftto provide a drive shaft assembly,

said drive shaft assembly extending through said one plate,

an agitator having a depending agitating portion and being driven backand forth by said agitator shaft,

said agitator being supported by said agitator shaft,

said mounting plates having vertical notches of a size to just fit onthe roller shaft assembly to enable said plates to be seated on saidroller shaft assembly,

said notches being oriented on said plates so that said plates areperpendicular to the axis of said roller shaft assembly,

each plate also having a second notch for engaging a cylindrical part ofsaid machine and being so related to the first notch as to preventrocking movement of said plates about said roller shaft assembly,

said notches being so located that the mere seating of said plates onsaid roller shaft assembly will automatically locate the agitator shaftin parallel relation to said roller shaft assembly and automaticallylocate said depending agitator portion in correct position for agitatingink in said fountain,

the parts of said attachment being so located relative to said notchesthat the effect of gravity acting on having a fountain which contains aroller supported by a roller shaft assembly which projects beyond thefountain,

said attachment comprising a unitary assembly which is readily mountedon and removable from the machine as a unit,

said attachment including a pair of spaced parallel mounting plates,

a drive motor mounted on the outer face of one mounting plate,

an agitator shaft journaled in said other plate and extending towardsaid one plate,

said drive motor having an output shaft connected to said agitator shaftto provide a drive shaft assembly,

said drive shaft assembly extending through said one plate,

an agitator having a depending agitating portion and being driven backand forth by said agitator shaft,

said agitator being supported by said agitator shaft,

each mounting plate having an embracing sliding interengaging connectionwith said roller shaft assembly of said machine,

the portions of said plates providing for such sliding inter-engagingconnections being so related to the other parts of said attachment thatthe force of gravity acting on said attachment tends to maintain saidmounting plates in their interengaged position on said machine, wherebysaid unitary assembly may be applied or removed from said machinewithout the aid of tools,

the portions of said plates which provide for such slidinginter-engaging connection being so located that when said plates assumetheir final rest positions, said agitator shaft is located in parallelrelation to said roller and said depending agitator portion is incorrect position for agitating ink in said fountain,

said plates also abuttingly engaging other portions of said machine toprevent rocking movement of said plates about said roller shaftassembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,447,849 Hough Mar. 6, 1923 2,142,147 Prager Ian. 3, 1939 2,447,868Ortleb Aug. 24, 1948 2,613,601 Forbes Oct. 14, 1952 2,983,222 BakalarsMay 9, 1961 3,000,300 Ortleb Sept. 19, 1961 3,084,625 Gegenheimer et alApr. 9, 1963

2. AN ATTACHMENT FOR A PRINTING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING A FOUNTAINWHICH CONTAINS A ROLLER SUPPORTED BY A ROLLER SHAFT ASSEMBLY WHICHPROJECTS BEYOND THE FOUNTAIN, SAID ATTACHMENT COMPRISING A UNITARYASSEMBLY WHICH IS READILY MOUNTED ON AND REMOVABLE FROM THE MACHINE AS AUNIT, SAID ATTACHMENT INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL MOUNTINGPLATES, A DRIVE MOTOR MOUNTED ON THE OUTER FACE OF ONE MOUNTING PLATE,AN AGITATOR SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID OTHER PLATE AND EXTENDING TOWARDSAID ONE PLATE, SAID DRIVE MOTOR HAVING AN OUTPUT SHAFT CONNECTED TOSAID AGITATOR SHAFT TO PROVIDE A DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY, SAID DRIVE SHAFTASSEMBLY EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ONE PLATE, AN AGITATOR HAVING ADEPENDING AGITATING PORTION AND BEING DRIVEN BACK AND FORTH BY SAIDAGITATOR SHAFT, SAID AGITATOR BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID AGITATOR SHAFT,EACH MOUNTING PLATE HAVING A SLIDING INTER-ENGAGING CONNECTION WITHPORTIONS OF SAID MACHINE, THE PORTIONS OF SAID PLATES PROVIDING FOR SUCHSLIDING INTER-ENGAGING CONNECTIONS BEING SO RELATED TO THE OTHER PARTSOF SAID ATTACHMENT THAT THE FORCE OF GRAVITY ACTING ON SAID ATTACHMENTTENDS TO MAINTAIN SAID MOUNTING PLATES IN THEIR INTER-ENGAGED POSITIONON SAID MACHINE, WHEREBY SAID UNITARY ASSEMBLY MAY BE APPLIED OR REMOVEDFROM SAID MACHINE WITHOUT THE AID OF TOOLS, THE PORTIONS OF SAID PLATESWHICH PROVIDE FOR SUCH SLIDING INTER-ENGAGING CONNECTION BEING SOLOCATED THAT WHEN SAID PLATES ASSUME THEIR FINAL REST POSITIONS, SAIDAGITATOR SHAFT IS LOCATED IN PARALLEL RELATION TO SAID ROLLER AND SAIDDEPENDING AGITATOR PORTION IS IN CORRECT POSITION FOR AGITATING INK INSAID FOUNTAIN, SAID PLATES ALSO ABUTTINGLY ENGAGING OTHER PORTIONS OFSAID MACHINE TO PREVENT ROCKING MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATES ABOUT SAIDROLLER SHAFT ASSEMBLY.